


Highland Stock

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: fanfic100, Episode Related, Episode: s01e01 Pilot, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-15
Updated: 2008-09-15
Packaged: 2017-10-21 09:29:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/223690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carson is jealous of a certain Major with a strong ATA gene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Highland Stock

**Author's Note:**

> For LJ's **mcbeckchallenge** Missing Scenes table prompt #1. Rising. Also for **fanfic100** prompt #57. Lunch.

Once the initial shock had worn off and they'd stared in awe at the holographic display above Major Sheppard's head, Carson glanced towards Rodney and froze. Rodney was looking across at the Major with an expression of awe and desire that Carson had only seen given to the blasted ZPM before today. It was the way Carson had wanted Rodney to look at him, and not at some glorified taxi driver who'd disobeyed a direct order not to touch anything and sat down on the Chair.

Carson swallowed hard, aware that he ought to be just as excited as Rodney because O'Neill was never that willing to offer up his valuable time to help Carson in his ATA gene research, and here was a possible substitute. Except Carson wanted Major Sheppard as far away from Rodney as he could get, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why. He was jealous, pure and simple. In one flagrant lack of regard for the work being carried out here in Antarctica, Sheppard had managed to light up Rodney's world, giving Rodney access to all the Ancient controls that had been out of his reach until now. Sheppard was the new golden boy and Carson could bet Rodney would be chasing the handsome man around the outpost from this point onwards, rather than badgering him.

He felt a moment of bitter regret for all the times he had pushed Rodney away when he had asked for help with the Chair, and for how often he had told Rodney how much he wished he didn't have the coveted gene. Until now, his gene had been the strongest in the outpost, outside of General O'Neill's occasional visits but Sheppard had changed all of that in an instant. Rodney didn't need him anymore.

As the days passed, Carson tried not to let it show how much he cared when Rodney broke a lunch or supper arrangement to work on the Chair with Major Sheppard and Daniel Jackson, or to run simulations based on data gathered through Major Sheppard. Then, when they did get together it was Major Sheppard this, Major Sheppard that.

Carson was beginning to hate the name, and although he tried not to let his feelings spill over into his professional relationship with the Major, he could tell Sheppard was aware of the lack of warmth between them. He saw the man eyeing him warily whenever Carson took a sample of blood or ran a wee test or two.

He was doing it now, eyes flicking across to Carson whenever he thought Carson was looking away but, damn it, Carson was annoyed that Rodney had been too busy to join him for lunch again today. Eventually, Sheppard sighed heavily and pulled back his arm, bending it to keep the small bandage in place over the site of the latest blood donation.

"Have I done something to annoy you?"

"I'm sorry, Major?"

"Look, if it's about sitting in the Chair...I didn't mean to get you into any trouble."

"Oh! No. No one's cross about that. On the contrary, I hear you've made quite a splash with the physicists."

"You mean McKay."

Carson gave a weak smile, adding wistfully, "Aye, Doctor McKay is very impressed with your control of the gene."

Sheppard gave him an odd look so Carson ducked his head away, not wanting to reveal his true affection for Rodney. "Yeah, and that's all I am to him--a gene on legs. It's all Carson this, Carson that."

Carson looked up in surprise. "Really?"

Sheppard gave a rueful smile. "Yeah, really. I'm not saying he's all bad...just he has one hell of a case of hero worship on you despite denigrating your profession every second sentence." Sheppard's smile turned mischievous. "So, how are the sheep, Doc?"

"Would that be my woolly girlfriend I'd left to mourn my loss in some Highland pasture?" Sheppard gave a weird, braying laugh, and Carson could never be certain why he said this but the words tripped out of his mouth before his brain fully engaged. "I'm more a rams' guy, personally."

Sheppard stopped laughing...but he didn't stop grinning. "So is McKay...and I think he prefers certain Highland stock. Greater stamina, so I hear."

Carson felt the blush rise all the way from his toes. "You do now?"

A twitch of his lips was all Sheppard's response before the Major jumped off the medical bed and sauntered off. Carson leaned back against the recently vacated bed, aware he was sporting a silly grin but suddenly uncaring that someone might walk in and see it. He glanced up at the clock and realized he had missed lunch by several hours and they would have started serving supper in the makeshift cafeteria above the outpost by now. Firming his resolve, Carson decided he was not going to take 'no' for an answer when he asked Rodney to join him.

And afterwards?

Carson smiled, feeling bolstered by Sheppard's unspoken words of encouragement. Afterwards, he would drag Rodney to his room so he could show Rodney exactly how much stamina there was to be found in Highland stock.

END


End file.
